Where to go now?

This photo is from Friday…I had an AMAZING adventure. I got on a train, by myself, and went into Toronto for The Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair at Exhibition Place. I met a friend there, but went early enough to spend almost 2 hours wandering by myself, in complete awe of the variety of art I was in the presence of. I spoke with many artists, had a couple glasses of wine, watched my first art battle (which was amazing), and just had an amazing evening. Most of all, I’m inspired by artists that I met…Ramona Nordal, and her use of bright, almost fluorescent colours for highlights and outlines of figures. and the story telling element of each painting…martimbo, also for his use of colour in addition to his amazing ability to express very real, raw emotions, not to mention I’m in love with his painterly look, and the expressive way he adds lines to his work, you can just feel his paintings…Benny Bing, for his use of bold colour and the mix of simplicity and complexity in his work, as well as his inspiring story. There were other artists that I adored, and I had a great appreciation for them all…their talent and bravery, but these three in particular inspired me to add to what I do.

So…here is my dilemma, if I may. Where do I begin? I want to paint now, so badly. But what do I do? I have to finish a piece for the Inc.Squared fundraiser…I need to create a consistent body of work…a series, since I have not done such a thing yet in all of my playing, experimenting and discovering. So I have been working on aerial paintings…women showing their strength, courage and flexibility with silks and hoops…a parallel to the strength, courage and flexibility necessary to flow through life. I’d like to continue with that and get brave enough to paint some of these ladies on a larger scale. On the other hand…if I’m really honest, I’m starting to get bored with the colour palette, as part of the power of the message comes from an almost monochromatic palette. Which I love, don’t get me wrong, I’m just feeling a need for a change. I am craving more than ever bright, happy colours. Do I incorporate those colours into the subject matter that I’m currently fascinated with? Or do I start a new body of work playing with and including those colours, so that I have different pieces to work on depending on my mood?

My goal?…to have a cohesive body of work in time to apply for next year’s Artist Project. Just to apply. See what happens from there. The applications are available this summer to September, so I have time, but not a tonne of time. Oh, what to do?…what to do?…

Artist friends! Tell me what you do! Do you immerse yourself in one project at a time or have half a dozen pieces and themes on the go at once? (I feel like I should focus my energy and limited time, but I don’t know what to choose). AND…if you work big, do you just dive into a big canvas/board or do you practice and prepare a small version first and then hope to recreate it on the big substrate once you have it perfected? Please share tidbits of your process with me. Thank you! Have a lovely day!

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Published by lizzieloumixedmedia

I am an artist and a runner, learning to embrace inspiration and accept imperfections one step at a time. This is the journey of me recreating and redefining myself after a head injury, through depression and anxiety.
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